How Do Educators Support Children’s Emotional Wellbeing

We are living in troubled times, and they are even more challenging for younger children who don’t know any better. Unlike adults, they don’t have years of experience and a lifetime of interactions to learn from. Young children rely heavily on the people that they interact with on a daily basis to learn about themselves and the world around them. As the child grows up to school age, that significant other becomes their teacher and the people they spend most of their day with at school. This places a big responsibility on the shoulders of teachers. Not only are they responsible for the academic development of the child, but also the emotional and mental development.

It can be particularly challenging to work with children at this crucial point in their life. Together with all the uncertainty and the challenging social environment that children have to deal with, it can be a lot to work through. However, there are a few different things that you can try to help your students out. In fact, these are principles that any adult can follow to help improve the emotional wellbeing of a child.

1. Set A Routine

One thing that has a big impact on the emotional condition of a child is the routine of their life. Whether that is moving around, changing schools, going from one foster home to another, or any other kind of frequent change. Having a stable environment and a somewhat permanent lifestyle are important. The recent pandemic situation and its impact on schools have been quite difficult for children to manage, especially for younger children who were just starting off with their educational careers. Combined with the fact that there was no defined end to the problem, it caused a lot of emotional distress to students of all ages.

As a teacher, try to set specific learning routines that they can get used to, whether it is through classes in school or through online sessions. School can be that one place where children find stability and security in their routine even if they don’t find that at home.

2. Talk It Out

Even up until the age of 8 or 9, children are still trying to make sense of the world around them. Even though they can observe the world, they can’t understand it entirely. As adults, we often underestimate just how different the world is from how a child sees it and how adults see it. Communication is a critical part of learning, and the team at Story House Early Learning strongly suggests that you give your students an opportunity to speak their minds. In addition, give them the attention that they need and try to address their concerns in the best possible way. It’s only through open communication that we can teach our younger generation about life.

Addressing their questions and talking about what intrigues them will go a long way in their overall mental development. Telling your students that they are asking silly questions will damage their development and personality. After all, they are children, their questions are supposed to be silly. Moreover, through communication, you can provide them the validation that they need to create strong characters.

3. Take Action

People say actions speak louder than words, and this couldn’t be truer for emotional development. There’s a big difference between telling your students what to do and leading them through action. Whether that is something as trivial as being on time or just ensuring that you are dressed well, these things have an impact on a child’s development.

Any good success coach or high-level professional will tell you that leading from the front is all about practising what you are preaching. More importantly, it is a strong leader that creates strong followers. If you are cutting corners yourself, you can’t expect your students to excel and push themselves towards greatness. They need someone that they can look up to and someone that they can be their reference point in their life.

Not all children will have the opportunity to live in stable homes, comfortable environments, and be safe from social problems such as racism. Chances are, your students are already battling many of these challenges in their private life. If you want to do as much as you can to ensure their emotional stability, these 3 things will go a long way. More importantly, if you can instil a culture of empathy, honesty, and respect in your students, you will develop an ecosystem of positivity.